Maps Legend

The abstract and schematic representation of reality is done in maps using alphabets of symbols, lines, spots, colors, shading and more. The design of the maps indicates the tension between form, content and knowledge.

One of the leading cartographers of our generation says: "In order to capture the nature of the landscape, we have to merge the components in a graphic way so that we receive an iconic quality, a unique sense of place and character. The essence of the personality. "

Another senior cartographer says: "A good topographical map should look like a national monument. It must be a cartographic reflection of the face of the earth that presents the relief, the covering and the dissolution of all the details of the landscape, in a way that emphasizes its unique landscape."

The great precision and the sophisticated graphic means, combined with the development of art and visual communication, led to the fact that every serious decision maker today draw a map highlighting the elements he is interested in, and does so very convincingly.

Modern cartography, having achieved full accuracy of surface description, can assume that the average map reader already easily identifies the area described. It can use this assumption as a springboard for an original presentation of the surface to illustrate certain facts.

One of the most common examples is the creation of maps that emphasize the vertical dimension of the landscape beyond its relative proportions in reality. The accumulated statistical information enables maps in which the desired geographic unit, for example countries, is emphasized, according to the relative size of a given data. For example, in a map that describes the size of the world's population, China and India will appear to be larger than their real size. A third style, mainly tourist maps, is turning the terrain into a background on which images of attractions are featured.

Legend symbols of the basic elements in the modern city

World map with self-filling legend

IMAGO MUNDI - maps as World Picture

The traditional name of the map is: ''World Picture''. Its origins is in Latin - IMAGO MUNDI, and perhaps more than anything else, it is the complex essence of cartography. It encapsulates both its representational character and its artistic, pictorial aspect.

Although modern scientific mapping is aided by sophisticated measurement methods and has removed many of the decorative elements from the map, it is still subject to the imperative of aesthetic design. Beyond that, scientific mapping can not fail to present reality selectively, by the necessity of using symbols and emphasizing certain data. Accurate maps represent an interpretive and tendentious perspective.

From first glance it can be noticed that art and science have existed side by side throughout the history of map production. The maps linked the world of religious symbols and folklore to the encyclopedic scientific knowledge of geography, geometry, and cosmography. The link between the artistic and the scientific aspects on the map is easy to discover, by the artistic decorations that surrounded every map until recently. Much of the maps area was dedicated to them.

The decorations expressed the connection between cultural style and geographic objectivity, during a certain era. Maps, like works of art, are powerful means of transmitting messages through cultural symbols. Many ancient maps represented a visual summary of their creators' knowledge and worldview. These maps have layers and meanings which are of works of art in every respect.

The golden age of the maps as works of art, and of the anthropomorphic maps in particular, was the Middle Ages in Europe. The Middle Ages are the thousand years between the collapse of the Roman Empire in the 5th century AD and the age of discoveries which started in the 15th century. During this long period, people were confined to cities, castles and monasteries. The roads were destroyed, and the intercities traffic was greatly reduced. Science became concentrated in the hands of the Church, which sought to shape a worldview in the spirit of faith. For about 1000 years, the maps became a reflection of the Christian world view, with the distinct characteristics of sacred geometry: Jerusalem was at the center, the world was round, and accurately divided into three continents, populated by saints or monsters.

The collaboration between cartographers and artists became, surprisingly, increasingly intense in the age of discovery, which emphasized the accuracy of mapping. It was the result of introducting of new discoveries, such as new species, as graphic elements, and filling white areas, not mapped yet, with various illustrations, especially of ships and monsters. The ''accurate maps'' included also eye catching illustrations of interesting landscape details, especially of fortified cities. Co-existence was established between geographers, aspiring accuracy and reliability, to cartographers,  experienced in styles of art and cultural moods  of their era.

Combination of  map and art on the world map of Patolami,
the most popular map until the age of discoveries.

Map of the Holy Land, 16th century,
with illustrations of the human landscape.

Cognitive Maps

Modern men carry themselves to their goals through a central image they organize in the mind, for the purpose of achieving goals step by step.

A cognitive map at the heart of the human spirit may provide creative directions of thought, in a random and unplanned fashion. The cognitive maps serve the construction and accumulation of spatial knowledge, enabling images to be visualized in order to reduce cognitive load, and improve memory and learning of information.

This type of spatial thinking can also be used as a tool for non-spatial tasks, when people who perform non-spatial memory-related tasks use spatial knowledge to help process the task.

The cognitive map is a spatial representation of the outside world information, that is preserved in the consciousness until an objective revelation of the requested knowledge is created.

Cognitive mapping is a mental mapping of information that is defined in the search for knowledge. Thus, In most cases, the cognitive map exists independently of the psychoanalytic map. Cognitive maps exist in various fields such as psychology, education, archeology, planning, geography, cartography, architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, management and history. As a result, many mental maps in these areas are often referred to by different names, such as: cognitive maps, mental maps, mind maps, scripts, schemas, and reference frames.

One of the applications of the cognitive map is carried out by urban theorists who ask the city dwellers to draw from their memory the city or place where they live. This tool allows the theorist to get an idea of which parts of the city or residence are more significant. This, in turn, throw light on the overwhelming idea of how to properly perform urban planning.

Different population groups need different presentations of reality, in the form of maps that reinforce personal tendencies. Children do not know much beyond the limited world of their lives, and they will draw the map in a way that greatly increases the objects they know, such as home, school, and the connecting way. Advertisers draw maps of the ways to shelves of products they market, in a way that puts them as a priority against others. In fact, anyone who aspires to change his world will draw a map in his imagination that is different from reality.

 Cognitive map is an illustration that combines the physical and mental environment

Map of Tokyo metro lines in cognitive and artistic style

Trip Maps

If life is art, the trip is a masterpiece. The pre-planning is an important component of the trip, which makes us enjoy it long before we started it. During the planning process, we are actually one step in the journey, with all that it means for the daily routine. The real journey is a journey to the imaginary land, because imagination is always a journey.

We often lack a guiding principle when planning a trip. Imagination takes us somewhere else, without really knowing what we want. The future traveler finds himself drifting, but he is dissatisfied with this escaping imagination. He needs a map. Each trip must include an accurate map, with a drawn path, stations, and schedules. The means of transportation, the attractions and the places of rest must all be included in the invitation to the trip, and they must also be displayed graphically.

The map of the trip is regularly carried on the garment during the trip, as the most loyal companion. The traveler takes it out of his pocket at every opportunity, not to know his location, but to ascertain whether the journey in reality matches the journey to the imaginary land he had planned in advance. Are the places suitable for what he thought about them, and whether he can produce the right inspiration. The inner self gets a gentle push, which pulls out of balance, and causes a healthy daydreaming movement. If the route is chosen carefully, it evokes a well defined poetic dream. The map of the trip, followed by other maps and dry data, are tools in pursuit of a seductive dream. We strive to realize our dreams during the trip, and it is a key opportunity in life to reach the threshold of their realization. 

This is why the meaning of the journey is very different for different travelers who make the same route. They want to find something new in what others seem to think as ordinary. They load, sometimes too much, their expectations of the trip, and there is no power in the world that might prevent them from being sucked into it. This is also because the actual trip is in unfamiliar roads, and there are many dangers in it. Unexpected events, planned and unplanned, occur on every trip.

The map of the trip is therefore a road story. A story in which every path and every place is interwoven with far-reaching descriptions. The story of the road becomes, after the trip, a life story. This is done through storytelling. After the journey, loaded with experiences and pictures, the traveller tells about the trip as part of the important sources of his lives, and do it as a storyteller, while carefully preserving the balance between the real and imaginary.

Woman engrossed in reading a trip map  in the middle of the street 

Tourist map of China with famous attractions

Animation

Basically animation is a graphic art that is not static, but rather uniquely run one frame after another, to create an illusion of a movie. It is a sequence of images, 2-D or 3D, that runs in a sequential order. The order is of  small action moves, of an object or character.

Animation from History to the Present

Some animations, originated as  sequential paintings by primitive people from the Paleolithic era, were found in caves in Europe. 

Shadow Puppetry, created in eastern Asian countries, is considerd an animation ancestor. 

More modern are animation works that were modified into simple or complex animation devices. Among them is the flip book, often using drawings, paintings, or photos. Slides projectors, cylinders with rotating cards, optical toys etc., are other well known instruments of animation. 

The present digital era of animation is far ahead of the sequential cave painting. There are computers, software, methodologies and process of work, to produce nice and quality animation works.

Animation Applications

Animation appear very well in the electronic media. Television and film industry have big exposure of animations. There are exclusive television channels that are showing animation movies. Advertisers prefer animated advertisement, acted with  attracting characters. Web media is packed with many animations. Websites have animated elements such as warning messages, links, buttons and logos. Web banners come frequently with an animation.  These stuffs make alive the web, with enchanting users feelings.

Animation Projects

Based on a story line, a series of images can be created and placed in a storyboard, that describe the sequence, events, ambiance, music, sound, voice, etc,. Storyboard is the descriptive document which explains steps of the progressing animated movie. It is a layout. Dimension and frame structure, graphics, characters, elements, background, objects, color scheme and so on,  has to be designed from the beginning. They  are produced based on the storyboard. In this way, the ambiance of the story can be kept in mind all along the making. 

Multiple animators are required for an Animation project. Animators have to take care of the screen play, story writing, direction, actions, expressions, etc,. 

The interface of the animation movie storyboard must be user-friendly and correct. This quality add value to the animation material against the competition. 

Animation Characters

Animation characters are highly demanded in both 2-D and 3-D animation fields. This is similar to acting stars in a movie or stage show. The animation character must look friendly to the audience. The character must be shown with feelings, thinking, reaction, consistency, dress code and mood, just as a human being.

AniBoom has many upcoming projects of animation proects promotions, as well as introducing many animators. AniBoom promotes events and opportunities for aspirant animators. Many events like seminars, workshops, training and contests are designed to help the aspirants through the Internet.

About the Author

Shakir A. 

Shakir A. is an independent writer on topics like marketing of products and services through electronic media, especially for Entertainment, creatives and movies. For details Log on to ''AniBoom".